


After The War

by StannisIsTheOneTrueKing



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Infinity War, Infinity War spoilers, Pls don't read if you don't want spoilers, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-04-28 19:34:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14456262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StannisIsTheOneTrueKing/pseuds/StannisIsTheOneTrueKing
Summary: When all is said and done, what comes after the Infinity War?MAJOR SPOILERS FOR INFINITY WAR, DON'T READ ID YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED!





	1. Chapter 1

‘What do I do now?’ Tony asked himself as he looked around the wreckage that was once the proud world of Titan. It was over. Thanos had won. Peter…oh god, Peter.

‘The kid looked up to me. Trusted me. I let him die. I should have made sure he went home, I should have fought harder to get that glove from Thanos, I should have…’ Tony’s thoughts left him as he fell to his knees and felt the contents of his stomach leave him as he bent over, retching.

Nebula looked at him, sadness and anger in her own black orbs as she contemplated what had happened as well. Thanos had finally gotten what he wanted. The Infinity Stones, and the destruction of half of the universe. His children had joined countless others in death, all except Nebula, even Gamora, the favourite, the only one Thanos truly loved, had perished. But the unloved one, the one he had tortured over and over, survived, not even worth Thanos’ time to kill, she had been abandoned here, alongside so much of Thanos’ past, to rot.

“Stark, is it?” Nebula asked, looking over at the human on his knees, vomit coming from his mouth as tears fell thick and fast from his eyes.

“Just a second.” Tony said, wiping his mouth and his eyes before turning to her. His mind was already turning to other things. There would be time to mourn Peter, Strange, Star Lord and the others soon. First, he had to make sure everyone else was alright, by getting back to Earth, and he had to make sure he avenged those who had fallen.

“I know how you’re feeling.” Nebula told him quietly as he unsteadily rose to his feet. “I lost my sister and a few good people here today as well. Believe me, Thanos will pay, but first, we need a plan.”

“I have a plan. Beginnings of one anyway.” Tony told her, eyes hardening. “First, we need to get back to Earth. Is there a way off this planet?”

“The Guardians, they had a ship to come here. It shouldn’t be too hard to find it from here.” Nebula said. “We could use that, I know they wouldn’t have minded.”

“Lead the way, Miss ?” Tony asked.

“Nebula is fine.” She told him.

“Lead the way then, Nebula. The sooner we find out who made it, the sooner we can plan on how to strike back.”

As Nebula lead Tony towards the ship, he could only focus on everyone he had just lost, on the look on their faces as they knew the end had come for them, especially Peter and his begging. He was just a kid, and had his whole life in front of him still. For that alone, Tony vowed, Thanos would be defeated.

“Thanos will pay.” Tony said quietly as rage shook his entire body.

“Believe me, there’s a lot who will want him dead now, and there were plenty before today.” Nebula told Tony. “If you want him dead, then I’ll help you find him, just make me a promise.” Nebula said.

“What is it?” Tony asked.

“I get to deliver the killing blow.” Nebula told him in a tone that brooked no argument.

/

“Oh god….” Steve Rogers said as he held Vision’s lifeless husk on his arms. Ash all around him was all that remained of many of his friends and allies, T’Challa, Wanda, Bucky, Sam, just to name a few, all gone, in the blink of an eye. The survivors were all around him, all confused, all mourning, what had happened? Where did they go from here? How could they fix this?

“Steve, what do we do?” Natasha asked him, blood and tears streaking her face.

“We need to regroup. We need….” Steve trailed off. He didn’t know what they needed, nobody would know what they needed. Where did they even begin to try and fix this? Could they find Thanos? Even if they could, how could they hope to defeat him? Did they try and rebuild, reach out and try to help prevent the world descending into anarchy with half of the population gone? Did they just shut themselves off from the world and mourn? Steve had no answers to give, and that scared him more than the thought of dying. Death he could handle, but having no way to stop what was happening, no way of saving everyone, and no way of knowing what do next, that terrified the Captain.

“Come on, Cap.” Rhodey said, walking over and lifting Steve to his feet. “We need to get back to the city, find out what happened back there, and decide what we do next from there.”

Steve looked over to see Thor, his head bowed, his eyes downcast as he passed him heading back towards the city, Bruce climbed out of the Hulk-buster and was grateful for Natasha being there, his knees giving way beneath him and falling towards the ground, Nat catching him before he could. Okoye and M’Baku together, looking in disbelief towards where T’Challa had fallen. The strongest and noblest of all Wakandans, snuffed out like a candle on a windowsill. Rocket looked over at Thor then prodded him gently.

“Rabbit.” Thor said sullenly.

“Come on Thor, we need to go with them.” Rocket said, his voice breaking as he spoke. “We can’t do anything for…the others…we need to get together and talk through what we do now.”

“It’s simple. We kill Thanos.” Thor said, as if it were the easiest thing in the world, the smile that was breaking out onto his face a weak façade that Rocket saw right through. Thor’s eyes swam with tears and he could see the beginnings of rage in them as well. Thor would get himself killed if he went all gung-ho against Thanos now by himself. They needed to regroup, to plan a counter-attack, find Thanos and destroy him once and for all.

“Thor, we need to make a plan.” Rocket told him.

“We have one. Find him, bury Stormbreaker into his head this time, take the gauntlet and fix all of this.” Thor promised him.

“Thor…” Rocket said softly, seeing the sadness in his eyes. “Believe me, I want nothing more than to kill that purple prick myself, but we need to make sure we find him and all work together. I can promise you, we aren’t the only ones who want his head to feel your axe’s blade.”

“Let’s go.” Steve said as they headed out of the treeline together back to the city. “We need to see what’s happened and see where we go from here.”


	2. The Days After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What comes after everyone is gone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a bunch of different ways I could take this story, not only from what I thought of, but what people have asked in pm’s and reviews, and from theories for the sequel that I’ve seen. I think what’ll happen is a mix of those and my original thoughts for this story. So, it’ll likely be closer to Avengers 4 now than I planned this story to be, I hope you enjoy the story still though.

It had been a hard few days for the people of Earth. What had happened, not many of them knew. There were spaceships in New York, followed by multiple UFO’s over the nation of Wakanda, and then it happened. Some called it the Rapture. Others, the Apocalypse. All anyone knew, was that the world’s population had gone from 7 billion to slightly over 3 billion. Those who had gone, there was no hope to even mourn them, they had simply dissolved away into nothing. No bodies, not even time for goodbyes, just the vast emptiness that they had left behind.

However, this event didn’t bring the world together, as many religious groups had proclaimed that it would in the hours after the Vanished, as they were called in the media, disappeared. It tore it apart. Within hours, the stock markets of the world had collapsed. Most nations, with the loss of so much of their population, had descended into rioting and violence, those that hadn’t managed to mount an effective defence against the rioting were spilling into insurrection and civil wars, especially in the poorer nations of Earth. The nations with more tyrannical leadership had largely avoided violence in the streets, due to their nations declaring war on weaker neighbours or those they held grudges against, many nations were now, either amongst themselves or against others, at war.

One exception to this was the tiny African nation of Wakanda. In the past few days, they had managed to keep order through their sense of loss, as opposed to falling apart due to it. The tribes worked together as one to shore up their border defences, ensure that the population didn’t break out into rioting and to cement a smooth transition of power to Queen Shuri. Having survived Thanos, two days later, she had been coronated as her brother had once, by the offer of ritual combat, with many fighters having died, and most others respecting Shuri’s intellect and determination, she had faced no challenges for the throne, and now sought the counsel of all tribal leaders and the Avengers to keep peace and decide what they should do next.

“It’s been four days. We can’t wait around any longer.” Thor told them. “We need to find Thanos and put an end to him.”

“I want nothing more than my brother back as well.” Shuri told him. “But none of us have any idea of where Thanos went or what we’ll do if we did find him. Remember, he still has the Infinity Stones, he could kill all of us without blinking if we didn’t get lucky.”

“Thor, I know you want revenge, we all do, but we need a plan of attack.” Steve told the Asgardian King.

“I have a plan. Attack.” Thor told him, Steve wincing slightly as he remembered a conversation a lifetime ago, back when he first met Tony and Thor.

“How would we even find Thanos?” Bruce asked. The last few days had consisted of much soul-searching for Banner, trying to reason with the Hulk. The other guy refused to fight Thanos’ children, terrified of the defeat that Thanos had inflicted on him, with Hulk never been matched beforehand, it was an eye-opening experience that there were others who could be as strong if not stronger than he was.

“I will use the power of the Bifrost and seek out Thanos that way, even if I have to search the entire cosmos to do so.” Thor said, utterly assured in what he reasoned was the best way to find him.

“That could take years and years though.” Nat gently told Thor.

“I’m 1500 years old, Natasha. I can handle a few extra years if it gives me a chance to avenge everyone Thanos took from me.” Thor told her.

“Even so, we’ll need everyone to keep Thanos back and defeat him.” Steve told Thor. “We can’t go charging into this. We need a location and a plan. It’d be so much easier if Tony were here…” Steve said, trailing off when he thought about Stark. He’d disappeared five days ago on Thanos’ ship, and hadn’t been seen or heard from since. He was likely dead and they didn’t want to accept that, but they were starting to realise they probably would have too.

/

Unknown to the rest of the Avengers, Tony Stark was still very much alive and on his way back to Earth as fast as the Guardians former ship could carry himself and Nebula.

“How much longer should this take?” Tony asked.

“We should be at Terra in a couple of hours.” Nebula told him. “Listen, Stark, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Whatever it is, my new blue friend, it can’t be worse than the fact everyone I’ve ever known could well be dead.” Tony said, not quite having the same impact as his wit usually would with the haunted and dead look in his eyes.  The loss of everyone on Titan except him and Nebula was weighing heavily on him, as was the thought that Earth had almost certainly suffered a similar fate. One thing kept nagging at the back of his mind however. Strange saw only one path to victory, and as he died, told Tony that.

“It was the only way.”

Did that mean that this was the path to victory? How could this be a victory, when everyone was almost certainly dead? Tony didn’t have all the answers, but he was damned if he wasn’t going to find them one way or another.

“I think I know where Thanos is.” Nebula told him.

Time seemed to freeze for Tony as he turned to look at Nebula, rousing himself from the depths of his misery to fix her with a burning gaze.

“Where is he?”

“I think he’s on Vormir. With the Infinity Stones, he can reshape any planet to be whatever he wants it to be. He told me once that once he balanced the universe, he’d rest and watch the sunrise over the universe, knowing he had saved it. He also loved Gamora, and he mourns her. He’d go to where she died, to be close to her.” Nebula told him, sadness in her orbs as she mused on the events on Titan.

She didn’t believe Thanos capable of love, but his mourning for Gamora showed otherwise. Nebula guessed it was just certain children Thanos was capable of loving. She mourned her sister too, and if she got the Gauntlet, she would bring Gamora back if possible, before dissolving Thanos and scattering his ashes to the farthest corners of the universe, just to be sure he’d never return.

“Alright, how do we get there?” Tony asked.

“First, we find your friends. It’ll take a few weeks in this ship to reach Vormir, it isn’t like the next planet over, but we should be able to reach it quickly enough. I just hope Thanos hasn’t moved on if he is there. If he has, it could take years to hunt him down.”

“We’ll get him.” Tony vowed. “Once we find Thanos, he will pay for what he’s done. I swear it.”

/

Thanos awoke and looked out at the sunrise once again, a smile adorning his face as he did so. He’d spent a few days on Vormir now after reshaping the planet, and had even recovered his beloved Gamora’s body and buried her in the valley below him. He knew she’d have wanted that, to be buried in a peaceful place with the sun shining on her all day long.

‘The people of the universe are rejoicing.’ Thanos told himself, trying to ignore the feeling of loss within him that the deaths of all of his children had brought. He didn’t care much for most of them, but he felt their loss keenly. He rationalised it as they knew what he sought and they gladly worked to achieve this aim, and they would rejoice that they had died to bring balance to the universe. Still, the loss had rankled him. He hoped the Avengers had all died for what they cost him, that they had all given themselves over to helping restore the universe. That would be a fitting end for them, giving their all to help the greater good, as Thanos saw it.

“Soon, daughter, I will return to Titan.” Thanos said as he walked over to Gamora’s grave and spoke to her. “I will reform it into the paradise it once was, like I have reformed Vormir, and once it is beautiful and perfect once more, I will settle there. Titan shall be my home once again, and as my gift to you, I give you Vormir. It will be an eternal utopia for you, my Gamora, my favourite daughter.”

/

Steve looked out over the Wakanda sunset and thought back on the past few years. The world had certainly changed since he awoke from the ice and Nick had said to him those unforgettable words.

“You’ve been asleep, Cap. For almost seventy years.”

Steve could not believe it at first, how much had changed, how long it had been, and yet, every year, the world seemed to change beyond recognition again and again, leaving an old man like himself in the dust. He was nearing a hundred years old now, and despite only being physically in his 30’s, Steve definitely felt a hundred after Thanos and the end of the world as they all knew it.

“Sometimes, I think I’m still asleep, Nick.” Steve said aloud as he looked towards the sun. They hadn’t heard from Nick in years, and considering they hadn’t heard from him after all of this had happened, Steve could only assume Nick was one of the billions who had perished. Like Bucky, like Sam, and like so many others. Steve would allow himself to mourn each and every one of them, once the job was done and once they had been avenged. In many ways, Steve Rogers was still that scrawny kid who wanted to save the world and stop the bullies. He wouldn’t let himself lose control and stray from focusing on his mission until the job was done and the world right once more.

“Nick always did have that effect on people.” A voice said behind him, smiling slightly at the voice Steve replied.

“He sure did Nat. Why are you out here?” Steve asked.

“Wanted to make sure you were alright, Steve.” She replied. “In my line of work, you don’t make many long term friends, you’re now one of my oldest, I wanted to make sure you were coping.”

“I’ll be alright, Nat. I’ve lost everyone I ever knew once before, this time, in some ways, it isn’t as bad, at least a few people I know and love are still here, like you, Bruce, Thor, James.” Steve said. “Together, we’ll get through this.”

“Alright, well I’ll be inside if you need to talk.” Nat said, turning to head back in once more. “Just don’t take too long out here, alright?”

“I’ll be in before long.” Steve smiled. “Go see how Bruce is, you’ve still got a lot of catching up to do.” Steve teased her as she left.

“Whatever Rogers.” She huffed as she left.

Steve looked back out and contemplated once more when he heard a female cough behind him.

“What is it Nat?” He asked as he turned around, the woman who was floating before him though wasn’t Natasha.

“Steve Rogers?” The woman asked, a red and blue costume adorning her as she hovered there, blonde hair flowing behind her.

“Who are you?” Steve asked, moving into a defensive stance and getting ready to call for help.

“Nick Fury called me, just before he vanished.” The woman said. “My name is Carol Danvers, though you may know me was Captain Marvel?”


	3. Return to Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony returns as we see the impact on the other groups of the MCU

 “Captain Marvel?” Steve asked as he took in the floating woman before him. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of you before, should I have?”

“Unless you’ve been into space, I doubted so. I thought maybe Fury had mentioned me before, I’ve helped him out a couple of times over the years.” Carol told Steve as she landed next to him.

“You’re an alien?” Steve asked.

“No, I’m from Earth, I merged with an alien entity that gifted me my powers, I protect the cosmos from threats, I only wish I’d clocked Thanos sooner than I did, I could have prevented this…” Carol trailed off as she looked out at the Wakanda sunset.

“It’s not your fault.” Steve said, looking awkwardly around as this new woman looked devastated.

“It really is Captain Rogers, I could have stopped this, I could have done something to stop Thanos before he did all of this.”

“Well you’re here now.” Steve told her. “That’s what counts, we’ll find Thanos and we’ll stop him, all of us, together.” Steve smiled at her before looking towards where Natasha had headed off a few minutes before. “We should go introduce you to everyone else. It looks like we’ll have to add you into our plans for when we finally find this bastard.”

“Lead the way Mr Rogers.” Carol nodded to him. She wondered what reception she’d receive from the Avengers, after all, she hadn’t been on Earth to help, even though she’d came from Earth. Maybe they’d blame her for Thanos defeating them. She certainly feared that’d be the case.

“Everyone, this is Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel.” Steve said to the Avengers as they re-entered the room with the rest of them, a new woman in tow behind him. Natasha and Thor’s eyes widened as they took her in.

“I’ve heard of you, Nick spoke of you often, apparently you’re quite powerful.” Nat said to her.

“Captain Marvel, I’ve heard much of your powers, with you on our side, I’m sure Thanos faces no chance of victory, even with the Gauntlet. Why are you here now though?”

“I didn’t clock Thanos. I was busy dealing with the Kree and Skrulls, I didn’t take much notice of Thanos until it was far too late.” Carol shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”

Thor looked at her, face emotionless and brooding, before walking over to her and putting his hand on her shoulder.

“It’s fine. I too didn’t clock him until after he’d already stolen the Power Stone. I should have looked further into who wanted the Infinity Stones than I did.” Thor told her, trying to cheer her up. He couldn’t really fault her, she’d have other engagements as well.

A beeping sound cut them off from their conversation as they looked over towards Shuri.

“There’s something approaching the atmosphere very fast. We need to be prepared in case it’s him again.”

“Avengers. Suit up.” Steve called as they hurried to see what was happening.

/

“We’re approaching Earth now.” Nebula told him as the ship approached the little blue ball hanging in the sky. It was hard to imagine but now half of those who had been on that planet only a week before were now gone. Those who survived, many of them were at war with one another.

“We need to find the others.” Tony told her.

“According to the vitals tracker, Rocket survived whatever happened, and he’s in a place called Wakanda.” Nebula told him.

“That’s where they’ll be. I know the leader of Wakanda, if the rest of the Avengers are anywhere, they’ll be there.”

“We’re approaching the atmosphere now. We’ll be landing in a matter of minutes.” Nebula said as Tony looked out of the windows.

‘Finally. Home. I need to speak to so many people, apologise to some, beg forgiveness from others.’ Tony thought to himself.

“Just bring us down, we need to get to work.” Tony simply stated as Nebula piloted them towards the ground. Landing, they stepped out of the ship to see an army with spears aimed towards them, as well as several old faces looking ready to battle, once they saw who left the ship however, they turned to looks of relief and happiness.

“Tony!” Steve and Bruce called.

“Stark!” Thor grinned.

“It’s good to see you all.” Tony wearily smiled.

“What happened to you, Tony?” Bruce asked. “Where’s Spider-Man?”

Tony just stood still for a few moments before sinking to his knees, sobbing. Steve and Thor rushed over to him and helped Tony to his feet and walked him back towards the palace as Rocket approached Nebula.

“I see you survived too, huh?” Rocket said.

“What happened to Groot?” Nebula asked.

“He’s…gone.” Rocket said sadly. “Wait….have you seen the others?”

“They’re all dead, Rocket.” Nebula told him sadly, Rocket began shaking his head and muttering “No…no….no…” over and over again.

“The Guardians is just you and I now I guess.” Rocket sniffles after a few minutes. “I’ve got the smarts and I guess you’ve got the technologistics.”

“We’ll avenge them Rocket, don’t worry about that.” Nebula told the raccoon as they headed away from the ship to catch the others.

“How do we do that?” Rocket asked her.

“I think I know where Thanos may be.” Nebula told him.

/

Thanos stepped out onto the rocky barren wasteland that was once the luscious paradise of Titan once again. He had been away for several days, reshaping Vormir and ensuring life would prosper. Now, he planned to give himself the retirement he deserved, by reforming the paradise of Titan and resting there.

Raising the Infinity Gauntlet once more, he snapped his fingers again and saw the land all around him begin to change, the dust swirling away and disappearing as grass once more appeared on the ground below him. The scars that were once rivers began filling once again with water, the mountains began to repair themselves and rise high across the skyline once again, and the towers that the Titans themselves had built and their floating structures began to repair themselves and hang proudly on the skyline once again. Once the planet was once more looking like its former self, Thanos lowered his hand. Once more, he had done it.

‘Now, I can rest.’ Thanos thought to himself. He still wasn’t aware of what to do with the Infinity Stones. Would it be safe to keep them together? Should he separate them and spread them across the cosmos once again?

Thanos would have to consider it at a later time, for now, he needed to rest, he had done much in the past few days, and he needed to recover from it all, both physically and emotionally.

/

In New York, the people still couldn’t come to terms with what had happened. So many gone, so many dead.

At SHIELD, it was chaos. Phil Coulson was trying to keep order, but so many of his team, such as Daisy and May had vanished in smoke when the cataclysm came. Many still did not know what had happened or how they could reverse it. Coulson had faith it could be reversed though, that they could still save everyone. If only he knew…

In Hell’s Kitchen, the Defenders had reformed once more to try and keep order in the city, now onto its third day of rioting and violence. However, they were down a few members. Matt Murdock had died months before, and whatever had happened had seen Luke Cage dissolve, along with Hogarth, Trish and several others of their friends. Only Jessica and Danny remained, and neither of them knew what to do next.

“Jessica…what…what happened?” Danny asked, unable to comprehend what had just happened before his very eyes.

“I’m not sure, but we need to find the answers, and fast.” Jessica told him as they met up later that day, trying to piece together some idea of what had occurred.

“Maybe you could use some help?” A new voice said from behind the two heroes, turning they saw Daredevil stood there, fists clenched.

“Matt?” Danny asked, shock in his face and voice.

“Hi guys. Long time, no see.” Daredevil smiled slightly.

In Los Angeles, the Runaways, as they had finally dubbed themselves, were unable to comprehend what had happened. They were in the wind, having fled from their parents and whatever plans Pride had, and with them wanted for murder, they couldn’t exactly board a bus out of the city, but what really stumped Alex, was what had happened after aliens had attacked New York and seemingly taken Tony Stark. A day later, as the group awoke to the rising sun, several of them reported feeling unwell, and before he knew it, Nico, Gert and Karolina had all seemingly turned to dust and floated away, despite the efforts of Chase, Molly and Alex to hold onto something, anything, they were gone too. They didn’t know what to do next, they didn’t know what had happened to anyone, what if their parents had gone as well? What if their parents were behind this?

“We have to go home.” Alex told Chase and Molly suddenly, eyes blazing with anger. “If they did this, we take them down.”

/

“Has anyone spoken to Pepper?” Tony asked his fellow Avengers as they helped him onto a seat.

“We’ve not been able to get in touch with her.” Steve told him gently. “I’m sure she’s fine, Tony, I’m sure the news would have covered it…if something else had happened.”

“I need to get a hold of her, now.” Tony said, struggling to his feet once again.

“Tony, you need to rest, you’ve been through a lot. We all have.” Natasha told him.

“I need to make sure she’s alright!” Tony growled. “The last we spoke, she worried she’d never see me again. I need to make sure she’s alright!”

“We’ll find her, Mr Stark.” Shuri said, entering the room with the Wakandan council.

“Thank you, your highness.” Tony said, looking over to her. “I’m sorry for your loss, your brother was a good man.”

“Thank you, he truly was.” Shuri said, wiping a tear from her eye as she spoke.

“If there is anything I can do, that we can do, to repay Wakanda for its hospitality, we will.” Steve said, interjecting. “I think its time for the Avengers to return home. We need to see what we can do to help the rest of the world, like we were formed to do so.”


	4. Ten Years Have Gone By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its been ten years since the snap and what have the Avengers done?

The emergency alert system still blared on television screens, those that were lucky enough to still have access to electricity at any rate, if people bothered to turn them on. That discounted most of the world by now. It had been many years since Thanos’ attack, and Earth was still nowhere near rebuilt. The old world had died that day, and this new one, it didn’t recognise order and law as the old did. The only force that kept a semblance of control, to stop total anarchy, was the Avengers.

The Avengers had changed its roster over the years, but the core team still existed, with a few new additions. They had Captain Marvel now, who helped with clean up whenever she could, she spent most of her time in the Cosmos, along with Thor, searching for Thanos. Rocket and Nebula had joined on a part time basis, whenever they were in the area. Mostly though, they were mercenaries in this new universe. They had some members who had fought more on the ground stuff in New York, a pair called Jessica Jones and Danny Rand, as well as finding some kids who had dealt with some stuff in Los Angeles, calling themselves the Runaways. There was even a new Ant-Woman, in the form of Cassie Lang, or Stature, as she called herself. She had discovered where her father had vanished, figuring some of the dust on the floor around his van was his, she had wept for her father, before she realised that the Ant-Man technology now lay undefended. She may not have been his partner in life, but she could honour him in death, finding Pym’s lab wasn’t too difficult for her, and sat in a case there, waiting to be used, was one of the Ant-Man suits.

Steve remembered the first time they ever came across Cassie, when they were trying to recover some tech from Pym’s old lab that they believed could help them track down Thanos.  The team of Steve, Tony and Natasha had been combing through the building, keeping an eye out for scavengers, looking to attack them for daring to try take the technology before they could. They headed to the upper floors, finding several old blueprints of projects that never saw the light of day, or that Doctor Pym had never wanted to see the light of day. They approached where they hoped Hank had kept his personal files and latest inventions, when they heard a female voice ahead of them, muttering to herself.

“This suit better work, this is the fifth time I’ve tried it this week!” the voice said as they approached, looking around the corner, they saw a young woman, around 15 or so, fiddling with what looked like Scott’s old suit. Steve recognised the helmet from when he fought alongside Ant-Man back in Germany. Shocked at seeing someone else was there, and that they knew to tinker with the suit, Steve accidentally brushed into a spanner on a workbench by him, knocking it to the ground with a clatter.

Tony and Natasha looked at him in shock as the head of the woman whipped up and looked towards them.

“Who’s there?!” She called out, a tone of fear in her voice.

Deciding that it was no use waiting for her to leave, Steve stepped out into her line of sight. With his beard shaven and old suit back on, it was hard for anyone who still remembered the old days, before this hellscape happened, not to know who he was.

“Captain America?” She asked, faintly as he smiled at her.

“How are you Ma’am?” Steve asked as he gestured for Tony and Natasha to reveal themselves.

The two of them stepped out as Cassie looked at them in shock.

 “What are the Avengers doing here?” She asked quietly.

“We were hoping to find some plans of Dr Pym that could help us. Who are you and why are you here?” Tony asked her.

“Err, I’m Cassie….Cassie Lang. You knew my father, Scott? Ant-Man?” Cassie said. “I’m trying to get his old suit to work. I want to help.”

“Kid…”Steve started.

“Don’t.” Cassie cut him off with a glare. “I failed my father when he was here, I couldn’t help him. Now, I will honour him. Please. Help me.” Cassie said as she looked around the decrepit lab.

Sighing, Steve nodded to her and as he and Nat looked around the lab for the plans, Tony walked over to where Cassie was crouched and began to talk with her about the suit, its designs and some ideas he had gotten in the past few minutes on how to use it.

Nowadays they worked with her and the younger Avengers, as well as any others who would lend a hand, to try and at least keep a semblance of control over the world again.

“It’s been a long road, Cap.” Tony said, standing behind his old friend. “But I think we’ve got a good team set up here to help people when we’re gone.”

“You’re still committed to the plan then?” Steve asked.

“I ran the numbers didn’t I? Me and Bruce. It’s time, Rogers. We need to at least try to make sure that this, all of this, doesn’t happen.”

“I told you once that trying to win a war before it starts always kills innocents, remember?” Steve asked Tony.

“I remember that life used to be simpler when things like Ultron were the worst we had to deal with.” Tony said, eyes hard. “Don’t go telling me you’re having second thoughts about it now.”

“I was about to say, it’s time to prove myself wrong, and make sure we save innocent lives by ending this war before it’s lost.”

“Then lead the way, Captain.” Tony smirked as the two of them headed down the corridor towards where the rest of the old Avengers were waiting, to take the first step on the road to defeating Thanos once and for all.


End file.
